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REFERENCES - 14229_114
ORIGIN  OF  HINDUISM  IN  AMERICA

Religious Program Specialist 3 & 2, Module 01-Personnel Support
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H I N D U I S M Hinduism,  one  of  the  world’s  oldest  living  religions,  is  the  dominant religion  of  India.  The  term  “Hindu”  stems  from  the  Persian  word  “Hind,” meaning  a  dweller  in  the  Indus  River  region  where  the  earliest  roots  of Hinduism  began.  “Hindu”  may  refer  to  anyone  from  India  but  is  usually applied only to members of the Hindu faith group. Adherents are sometimes called Brahmanists because of the influence of the Brahmans or priests. The Republic of India is the home of more than 95% of the world’s Hindus with most  of  the  remaining  adherents  residing  in  Pakistan  and  Sri  Lanka (formerly   Ceylon). HISTORICAL   BACKGROUND Hinduism  is  prehistoric  in  origin  but  has  undergone  numerous  develop- ments,   attempted   reforms,   and   changes   due   to   varying   local   pressure. The  history  of  Hinduism  begins  with  the  Indo-European  Invasion  of  India beginning  in  5000  B.C.  Hinduism  has  no  historical  founder,  According  to tradition, sacred scriptures, called the Four Vedas, were revealed to spiritual men  (rishis)  who  lived  on  the  banks  of  the  Indus  and  Ganges  Rivers.  One of  the  Vedas,  the  Rig-Veda  is  the  oldest  of  India’s  sacred  books  and  is considered to be the most important. It is a collection of prayers and praises. The  teachings  contained  in  these  books  were  handed  down  by  prophets  and philosophers.  The  faith  which  was  taught  by  these  sacred  scriptures  and practiced by the Hindus was a vigorous, worldly religion with a positive view of  the  afterlife. The  second  stage  of  Hindu  history  centers  on  the  production  of  the Upanishads,  the major collection of Hindu religious writings, and the rise of the  ruling  Brahman  class.  During  this  period,  beginning  about  1000  B.  C., the positive attitudes of the Vedic period gave way to a generally pessimistic view  of  life,  and  the  ideas  of  Karma  and  reincarnation  came  to  the  fore. Reincarnation  is  a  concept  which  holds  that  a  person  may  go  through  a succession of earthly lives; in its more extreme forms, a soul may return as an animal or even as a plant. The Brahmic era was disrupted by the conquest of India by Great Britain around  1757.  An  initial  defensive  reaction  to  British  rule  and  Christian missions was followed by the creative Hindu Renaissance, the third stage of Hindu  development.  Led  by  outstanding  leaders  such  as  Ram  Mohan  Roy and Sri Ramakrishna, reformed Hindu movements emerged during the latter part of the 1800s. The Caste System Caste,  or  hereditary  social  order,  has  been  binding  on  all  Hindus  for hundreds  of  years.  Caste  began  as  a  social  system  but  soon  became  a  rigid part  of  the  religious  teachings  of  Hinduism.  The  four  traditional  castes,  in order of rank, are (1) Brahmans, the priests and intellectuals; (2) Kshatriyas, the  warriors  and  rulers;  (3)  Vaisyas,  the  artisans  and  agriculturalists;  and (4)  Sudras,  the  unskilled  laborers.  Pariahs,  the  “untouchables”  or  outcasts, 2-87







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